Apparatus for



FFC..

JOHN B. READ, OF COLD SPRING, NE\V YORK.

APPARATUS FOR TANNING.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 25,045, dated August 9, 18159.

VTo all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, Jol-rx B. BEAD, now ofCold Spring, in the county of Putnam and in the State of New York, haveinvented a new and Improved Apparatus for Tanning, &c.; and do herebydeclare that the following is a full and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters ofreference marked thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in providing an improved apparatusfor tanning and other purposes by mechanical pressure; the hides, skinsor substances to be operated on to be first extended upon single smoothperforated or porous surfaces; or upon pairs of such surfaces, in theform of flattened cases of wood or other material (with a cavity in theinterior of the cases) provided with pipes or other means of escape forthe tan ooze or other liquors, as well as air, gases, &c., after beingforced through the skins or other substances by atmospheric or otherpressure; or a series of porous surfaces, &c., may be permeated insuccession.

To enable others skilled in the arts to make and use my invention I willproceed to describe its construction and operation.

My improved process can be carried on by means of a single surface or aseries of such; by a single case or by a number of them combined andarranged in a framework as represented in .Figure l, capable of beingraised separately or all together from a vat of ordinary construction.

Fig. l, represents the whole apparatus inclosed in an ordinary vatdelineated by the dotted outline V, V, V, V; a number of the Hattenedhollow and porous cases A, A, A, A are shown, each with a skin (s) orother substance to be operated on, stretched and fastened upon it, thecases arranged so as to slide up and down by grooves in the framework B,B, and the cavity in the interior of each connected at the bottom or endby a short tube (t) with a pipe C, C, ruiming along the bottom or sideof the framework or vat and united with the pump D, D.

At E, E, are represented coarse woolen or hair cloth, matting, straw orother porous material that may be interposed between the skins, &c., andthe sides of the cases to prevent the possibility of the pores orperforations being closed so as to prevent the passage of liquids; butitis not believed that they will be found indispensable. All parts of theperforated cases not covered by skins, &c., will be best guarded as at Fby tarpauling sheet metal or other water proof substances so as to leaveno access to the interior except by percolation through the substancesoperated upon.

Fig. 2, represents one of the hollow porous cases A, separately formedas already stated of wood or other material; the por-es or smallopenings are distinctly shown while at a., a, a, are seen braces orsupports, themselves porous, and placed at such intervals within theinterior cavity as to prevent the sides of the cases from collapsing onthe application of pressure; one of the perforated sides removed toexhibit the cavity c, c, c in the interior of A is shown in Fig. 3.

At t, in Fig. 2, is the tube for conducting away the liquids &c., afterpassing through the skins &c., into the cavity c, c, c; if no pump pipeshould be connected with the tube t an opening would have to be providedfrom the upper part of A for the ready escape of air gases &c. Forconstructing the sides of these cases, porous wood cut across the grainmay be used, or wire cloth or strips of wood or metal placed very neartogether, or, what is believed better smooth perforated surfaces ofplank or plates of metal or other material as already mentioned.

The flattened form is preferred for the cases because occupying lessspace in the vats and affording greater strength fr m counterbalancingthe pressure.

It is very obvious that the cases instead of being made with two sidesand an internal cavity might be made single as for instance the bottomor sides of a box or as a series of partitions in any inclosed space andafter having a skin or other substance stretched upon it or them, theliquid used could be forced or allowed to "percolate through all fromwithout or from within. A series of such surfaces as Fig. 3, each with askin &c., upon the same side of it and placed in any tight vessel thesame liquid might be forced through each in succession; but from theprogressive weakening of the liquid in permeating the series of skins&c., the double flattened cases are preferred. Each of the cases A, A,A, A, Fig. l, then having been formed and fitted up as described isplaced in the framework B, B;

the whole is then lowered to its place in the vat V, V, V, and the vatfilled with the tanl ooze or other liquors to be used.

The interior cavity of each case is at first occupied only by air, butas soon as the pump D is put in operation a partial vacuum is formed andthe pressure of the atmosphere immediately forces the contents of thevats through the skins, &c., into the cavities of the cases whence it isremoved as fast as collected by the pump and returned by the pump spoutor a pipe lower down to avoid exposure to the air, to the vat, to gothrough the same process until a new supply becomes necessary.

The above described process may be kept up continuously until thedesired effects are produced or it may be carried on at intervals.

It is very obvious that the above processes may be conducted byhydraulic or other pressure, either in open or closed vats or vesselswhether with single surfaces, or a series of such, or hollow cases, onlyallowing escape upward or outward for air and gases, and an escapedownward or outward for running off the liquors after having passedthrough the skins &c. The cases are arranged vertically in the frameworkbut of course might be placed horizontally or in any other position withthe same result. In getting up a new tannery or other works for theapplication of my improved apparatus for saturating skins or othersubstances as cloths, &c., with tan ooze or any other liquors, whetherfor tanning, washing, sizing water proofing, &c., it might be foundadvantageous to construct vats above ground without the framing B, B,which I have represented; each hollow case to slide in grooves in theinterior of the vat; the tube or cock connecting each hollow case withthe pump and the pump itself and its pipes would in that case, be moreconveniently placed on the outside and at the end of the vats and onepump operated by steam or other power might serve a number of vats,asmany as could be conveniently connected with it. Substances operatedupon by this apparatus may be steamed or colored by it; they may also bedried by passing through them hot or cold air &c., instead of liquids.In regard to tanning by my improved apparatus I desire to statedistinctly that it may be made use of in all the processes where liquorsor solutions of any kind are used; not only for saturating with tan oozebut for using lime mixtures, or acid or alkaline solutions, bates &c.;also for washing the skins for the purpose of softening them or removingthe above or other substances preparatory to tanning proper; also foroiling waterproofing &c. Tan ooze and other liquors may also be driedout of skins by passing air through them, as intimated before, for usingstronger or fresher liquids afterward.

I do not claim the application of hydrol static or other pressuretotanning processes as such has long been known. I am aware that skinshave before been stretched upon frameworks for tanning purposes, but insuch cases they have been pinched by clamps or held by the edges so asto keep the skins in a more or less crumpled condition and not smoothlyand evenly extended and supported as in my application: I therefore donot claim such mode. Nor do I claim the use of a simple framework ofwood smaller than the skins to be operated on, in which the open spacesurrounded by the frame is filled with tan, and the skin then attached;neither do I claim the use of fatty llutes to prevent the passage oftanning liquors by the edges of skins undergoing that process.

lVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patentisl. An improved apparatus for tanning and other purposes; saidapparatus consisting of one, or a number of smooth porous or perforatedsurfaces of wood or other fixed material, placed singly or insuccession, in open or closed vats or vessels, or arranged in pairs soas to form closed hollow cases, upon which skins or other substances tobe operated upon, are to be smoothly stretched, and then the tanning orother fluids forced through them'by hydrostatic or other pressure intothe interior, whence means of escape are provided as described within.

2. I claim also the use of tarpauling, sheet metal or other waterproofsubstances in form of sheets, to cover over the perforated parts of thecases not overlaid by the skins, &'c., that the fluids used may beafforded no passage except by percolating through the skins, &c.

JOHN B. READ.

